The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered prime public land worth Sh300 million in Kisumu County, following a series of successful civil litigation efforts.
EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi announced that the two-month recovery exercise targeted land parcels that had been illegally acquired through fraudulent means.
Key recoveries include seven acres of land valued at Sh100 million belonging to Victoria Primary School, two plots owned by Kenya Railways Corporation, and a road reserve in Milimani valued at Sh180 million under the Ministry of Roads. Additionally, a government house in Milimani estate, valued at Sh20 million and belonging to the State Department of Housing, was reclaimed.
Fraudulent Land Transactions
The land belonging to Victoria Primary School had been fraudulently sold by a former head teacher in collusion with a board member. They reportedly forged minutes to facilitate the sale of 15 acres of the school’s property. While seven acres have been recovered, EACC is pursuing legal action to reclaim the remaining eight acres.
The agency is also investigating and seeking recovery of land parcels owned by several government institutions, including the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), Kenya Railways, the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Roads, the Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA), Kenya Prisons Service, and Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company (KIWASCO).
Widespread Land Grabbing
In one case, land allocated to the Kenya Prisons Service for the construction of a regional headquarters was illegally taken over by a law firm, subdivided, and sold to individuals who built luxurious homes. Across Kisumu, title deeds for grabbed government land and houses are valued at an estimated Sh10 billion.
“The EACC has filed court cases to repossess these parcels of land and government houses,” Ngumbi stated, adding that the agency’s efforts will extend to land grabbing cases in other counties, including Nyeri, Nakuru, and Mombasa.
Corruption at the Lands Ministry
Ngumbi attributed the prevalence of land grabbing to collusion by corrupt officials in the Ministry of Lands and warned that EACC would intensify its crackdown on cartels operating in land registry offices.
He also advised Kenyans to exercise caution when purchasing property to avoid inadvertently acquiring public land sold by fraudulent dealers.
“The EACC will not relent until all grabbed government land is reclaimed and reverted to its rightful owners,” he affirmed.
